Page 60 of Heart of the Hunter (Band of Bastards #3)
H unter knew the moment he saw the riders wearing surcoats with Hawk’s insignia galloping toward him on the road that something had happened to Anora.
And for the first time in his adult life, he felt his head spin and his limbs go slack with fear and dread.
It felt like someone had knocked the breath from his lungs and drained the blood from his body.
“What news?” he called as soon as they were near, reining his mount to a halt. He recognized the two men who skidded to stop in front of him, their horses still prancing from the rush of galloping, but he could not recall their names.
“Lord Hawk has sent riders in all directions looking for you, and for Anora. She and the stableboy Tommy are missing, feared to be abducted from the castle.”
Hunter roared in frustrated anguish, causing all of the horses to sidestep in circles. “Did anyone see what happened?” he asked once he’d caught his breath again.
The same guard added, “Wart saw them walking toward the back gate but was not concerned until he did not see them returning. When he went to the gate to look for them, Hugh was knocked out cold.”
“When?” Hunter asked, nudging his horse into a trot, knowing the guards would keep pace.
“Three or four hours hence.”
He looked to the west to judge the amount of daylight left, cursing when he realized he had maybe two hours before darkness fell.
They were close to Hawkspur, only five miles, maybe less.
He gave his horse his head and pushed him into a full gallop.
He’d ridden one of Hawk’s horses for the journey to give Shadow a rest and was grateful the horse had good legs and impressive speed.
He had no doubt Baron Payne was behind this. Hawk had sent a contingent of his soldiers to escort him and his men back to Baron Montworth’s holding only a day ago and promised to keep an eye on them until they started the return journey to Castle Whyte.
The question was, where did he take her?
He may have taken her to the holding of an ally, perhaps Montworth’s fortress.
Or was he bold enough to take her directly to Castle Whyte?
His arrogance made him confident he was above reproach, and his castle was an impressive fortress that was nearly impenetrable—save for the secret escape tunnel that Payne didn’t realize was not so secret anymore.
Hawk, Red, and Galiena were already awaiting him in the stables at Hawkspur Castle when he arrived.
He’d left Shadow with the stablemaster in his absence and was relieved to see the stallion saddled and ready to ride when he entered the stable, as were several other horses.
The leather saddlebags were bulging with supplies and tied in place on the backs of the horses.
“Tell me what you know,” Hunter demanded gruffly of Hawk and Red.
“Eat this while you listen,” Galiena said, handing him a chunk of warm bread drizzled with honey.
Hunter shook his head, but she insisted, “You will do Anora no good if you fall from your horse because you didn’t eat.
” A fierceness transformed her face into sharp points.
“I’m counting on you to find her and bring her back. You need your strength.”
He relented when she held the bread and a mug of ale up to him again. His stomach roiled with hunger and fear, and the bread was like ashes in his mouth, but Galiena was right: He was of no use to Anora if he did not keep up his strength.
“I thank you,” he said around a mouthful of bread to appease Galiena, then turned to Hawk and repeated his demand, “Tell me what you know.”
“A woman came to the back gate by the kitchen,” Hawk informed him, “claiming to be a maid of a Lady Ruby. Said her name was Beatrice, and that she had important news for Anora. Hugh sent Tommy to tell her of the woman, but he remembers little else after that.”
“Beatrice? Maid of Lady Ruby?” Hunter was even more perplexed now. He found it hard to believe that Madam Ruby would betray Hunter to Baron Payne after the coin and protection he’d provided for her over the years. “You are sure of this?”
“Aye,” Hawk continued. “Hugh regained consciousness a few hours ago. And though his head is splitting at the seams and aching like someone is pounding a drumbeat on his skull, he remembers clearly the woman who came to the gate. What he doesn’t remember is how he was knocked out, or who did it, but he does recall some men standing a distance behind her.
He thinks one of them may have lured him over the gate threshold before hitting him over the head. ”
Hunter took a long swig of the ale to wash down the last of the honeyed bread. “I’m sure there is no sign of Beatrice anywhere near Hawkspur now.”
“Aye, you are right,” Hawk conceded. “We are not sure how she convinced Anora to come to the gate, and we are not clear on the events that transpired once Anora arrived there.”
“I do not take her to be a fool, or one easily duped,” Red said, smoothing his beard over his chin. “This Beatrice must have presented her with a compelling reason to come to the gate.”
“She is from Madam Ruby’s brothel in Shrewsbury. We met with Madam Ruby and Beatrice before coming here to find out more about the pendants they received from Payne’s. If Beatrice showed up saying she had a message from Madam Ruby, Anora would have been interested.”
“Do you think Madam Ruby is working with Payne?” Red asked.
Hunter shook his head. “We’ve had a working relationship for several years and I don’t believe she would so easily betray me.
Beatrice is a favored harlot of Payne’s and was likely put up to this without Madam Ruby’s knowledge.
Edmund has mistreated Beatrice in the past and would not be above beating her until she complied.
” Digging into the pouch at his side, he pulled out a rolled bit of parchment and handed it to Hawk.
“Payne has been overspending for too long to make himself look more important than he is. This is the current ledger he has with the money lender in Knighton, after leaving this as partial payment more than a fortnight past.” He reached down into his boot and pulled out a small gold pendant with intertwining vines encrusted with a total of eight gems.
“Is it from the trove of stolen jewels?” Hawk asked, leaning over to inspect the piece in the palm of Hunter’s hand.
“Yes. Frode made a similar pendant for his wife every year to commemorate their time together. Each one had as many gems as the years commemorated. It’s a unique design and nearly identical to the ones Madam Ruby received from Payne as payment.”
Hawk reviewed the ledger, which showed promises from Payne to provide wool to the merchant in June at a reduced price in return for payment months before the shearing season. “June has long since passed, and I presume the merchant did not get his wool.”
“Correct,” Hunter confirmed. “And he has since discovered he is not the only merchant Payne was borrowing money from with the promise of selling them his wool in the summer at a reduced price to match the money loaned to him during the previous year.”
“It is little wonder he covets Hawkspur, then. He will soon lose everything if he does not find a revenue stream.”
Red gave a derisive snort. “He’d squander the money and ruin the land, just as he’s done with his father’s estate.”
“There is one more piece of news,” Hawk said. “The man captured from the raid on the hamlet has confessed to being a mercenary hired by Payne. I am readying a contingent of men, which Bard and I will lead to Castle Whyte in your wake. But four men are ready to ride with you now, along with Red.”
“I owe you more than my thanks,” Hunter said as he clasped forearms with his commander.
“Go, find Anora and bring her back. The confession of the hired marauder is enough to justify my retaliation, but abducting your woman along with the mounting proof he robbed her family and killed her mother justifies your vengeance.”